Support for rotary furnaces

ABSTRACT

Two symmetrically arranged pairs of rollers support the rotating surface of a rotary furnace, and each pair of rollers is supported on the respective ends of a beam. The beam is pivoted about an axis parallel to the axes of the rollers on a bearing with a cylindrical gliding surface whose axis is perpendicular to the plane passing through the axis of the rotating surface of the furnace and the pivoting axis of the beam. A support for the bearing has a cylindrical gliding surface complementary to the gliding surface of the bearing.

United States Patent Durinck et a1.

[ 5] Mar. 14, 1972 SUPPORT FOR ROTARY FURNACES Ren Durinck; BernardBoussekey, both of Lille, France Assignee: Fives Lille-Cail, Paris,France Filed: Apr. 13, 1970 Appl. N0.: 27,485

lnventors:

Foreign Application Priority Data Apr. 14, 1969 France ..691 1386 US.Cl. ..263/33 R, 308/203 Int. Cl. ..F27g 7/00, F16c 13/04 Field of Search..308/202, 203, 204; 263/33 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTSJohnson ..308/203 Fraser et a1. ..308l204 2,592,229 4/1952 Alexay..308/73 3,020,108 2/1962 Clark et a1. .,..308/203 2,768,033 10/1956Morris ..308/73 Primary ExaminerEdgar W. Geoghegan AssistantExaminer-Frank Susko Attorney-Kurt Kelman [57] ABSTRACT Twosymmetrically arranged pairs of rollers support the rotating surface ofa rotary furnace, and each pair of rollers is supported on therespective ends of a beam. The beam is pivoted about an axis parallel tothe axes of the rollers on a bearing with a cylindrical gliding surfacewhose axis is perpendicular to the plane passing through the axis of therotating surface of the furnace and the pivoting axis of the beam. Asupport for the bearing has a cylindrical gliding surface complementaryto the gliding surface of the bearing.

2 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures PATENTDMAR 14 m2 Y 3.648.992

FIG.2

IN VEN 'IORS. RENE DURINCK BERNARD BOUSSEKEY SUPPORT FOR ROTARY FURNACESThe present invention relates to improvements in supporting structuresfor the rotating surface of a cylindrical rotary furnace. Furnaces ofthis type may be provided with several bands spaced along the length ofthe furnace and each such band, which constitutes the rotating surfaceof the furnace, is supported on several rollers which rotate thefurnace.

Furnaces of this type may be kilns used in the manufacture of cement,for calcining mineral materials, and the like.

Generally, each furnace band rests solely on two rollers. For largefurnaces, it is necessary to use very thick bands and rollers of largediameter to maintain the circularity of the rotating surfaces and anacceptable support pressure. This has caused difficulties in making thebands and the rollers.

Also, in present structure of this type, the axis of the rollers isusually fixed and it frequently happens that the bands or rotatingsurfaces of the furnace do not bear correctly upon the rollers, eitherbecause of deformations of the furnace or because the axis of therotating surface or band is not parallel to the axis of the furnacebecause of faulty mounting or wear of the band.

It is the primary object of this invention to overcome these advantages.

This and other objects are accomplished in accordance with the inventionwith two symmetrically arranged pairs of rollers supporting the rotatingsurface or band of a rotary furnace. The rollers have axes parallel toeach other, and one roller of each pair is supported on each end of abeam. Pivot means supports the beam for pivoting about an axis parallelto the axes of the rollers. A bearing having a cylindrical glidingsurface supports the pivot means, the axis of the bearing beingperpendicular to a plane passing through the axis of the rotatingsurface of the furnace and the pivoting axis of the beam. A supporthaving a cylindrical gliding surface complementary to the glidingsurface of the bearing supports the bearing.

According to a preferred feature of the present invention, the bearingaxis lies in or close to a plane containing the lines of contact betweenthe rotating surfaces of the furnace and the rollers.

The above and other objects, advantages and features of the presentinvention will become more apparent from the following description of anow preferred embodiment thereof, taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawing wherein FIG. 1 shows an elevational view, partly insection, of a beam carrying a pair of rollers supporting a rotaryfurnace according to this invention; and

FIG. 2 is a section along lines A, B, C, D of FIG. 1.

The apparatus illustrated in the drawing is associated with an identicalapparatus disposed as a mirror image and symmetrically in respect of theillustrated apparatus to support the band of a rotary furnaceschematically indicated in FIG. 1 by the circular are 10. Thus, whileonly one pair of rollers 12 are shown, it will be understood that therotating surface or band is supported by four rollers, i.e., two likepairs of rollers.

Each pair of rollers 12 is mounted at the two ends of a beam 14 which iscarried on support 16 mounted on base 18. The beam is supported on twopivots 20 having a cylindrical surface, the common axis 22 thereof beingparallel to the axes of the rollers 12 and the pivots being disposed onrespective sides of the median plane of the beam.

Each pivot has a cylindrical gliding surface which rests on acomplementary sliding surface 23 of a block 24 which, in turn, has acylindrical surface 25 gliding on a complementary surface of support 16whose axis 26 is perpendicular to the plane passing through the axis ofthe rotating surface of the furnace and the axis 22 of the cylindricalsurface of the pivots. The axis 26 is situated in a plane wherein thelines of contact between the rollers and the band lie. It is preferredto place the axis 26 in this plane or close to it because this avoidsthe axial displacement of the rollers in respect of the band when thepositions of the axes of the band and of the rollers change. The twoblocks 24 are interconnected by a girder or cross bar 28.

An adjustable abutment 30 enables the rollers to be correctly positionedby adjusting the position of the sugport 16.

The gliding surfaces of the pivots 20, the blocks 4 and support 16 areprotected by a sheet casing 32 which is fixed to the support andconnected to the beam by bellows 34. They may also be conventionallytreated or prepared to reduce the friction forces between the engagingsurfaces. If desired, these surfaces may be suitably lubricated tofacilitate gliding.

The above-described construction permits the beam 14 to pivot about axis22 to equalize the loads on the two rollers. It also permits theassembly of the beam and rollers to pivot about axis 26 to modify theposition of the axis of the rollers. Thus, the axis of the rollers isalways parallel to the rotating surface of the band and the latter bearscorrectly against the rollers. I

Instead of being carried by two pivots, the beam may also be mounted onan axle supported at its ends by bearings fixed to blocks 24. It is alsopossible to replace the assembly of the two blocks 24 and the cross bar28 by an integral structure. Thus, many modifications and variations ofthe illustrated construction may occur to those skilled in the art,particularly after benefiting from the present teaching, withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in theappended claims.

We claim:

1. In a cylindrical rotary furnace having a surface rotating about anaxis, support means for the rotating surface comprismg I. twosymmetrically arranged pairs of rollers supporting the rotating surfaceof the furnace, at. the rollers having axes parallel to each other;

2. a beam having two ends,

a. one roller of each pair of rollers being supported on each one of thebeam ends;

. a pivot means supporting the beam for pivoting about a first axisparallel to the axes of the rollers and about a second axisperpendicular to a plane passing through the axis of the rotatingsurface and the first axis, the pivot means including a. two pivots eachhaving a cylindrical gliding surface and the gliding surfaces having acommon axis constituted by the first axis,

b. two bearing blocks each supporting a respective one of the pivots forpivoting the beam the first axis,

c. a cross bar interconnecting the bearing blocks, with the respectivebearing blocks mounted at the end of the cross bar on respective sidesof the median plane of the cross bar perpendicular to the roller axes,and

d. a support for the bearing blocks, the bearing blocks and the supporthaving complementary cylindrical gliding surfaces having a pivoting axisconstituted by the second axis.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second axis lies in or close toa plane containing the lines of contact between the rotating surface andthe rollers.

IAIIVVI tuna

1. In a cylindrical rotary furnace having a surface rotating about anaxis, support means for the rotating surface comprising
 1. twosymmetrically arranged pairs of rollers supporting the rotating surfaceof the furnace, a. the rollers having axes parallel to each other;
 2. abeam having two ends, a. one roller of each pair of rollers beingsupported on each one of the beam ends;
 3. a pivot means supporting thebeam for pivoting about a first axis parallel to the axes of the rollersand about a second axis perpendicular to a plane passing through theaxis of the rotating surface and the first axis, the pivot meansincluding a. two pivots each having a cylindrical gliding surface andthe gliding surfaces having a common axis constituted by the first axis,b. two bearing blocks each supporting a respective one of the pivots forpivoting the beam the first axis, c. a cross bar interconnecting thebearing blocks, with the respective bearing blocks mounted at the end ofthe cross bar on respective sides of the median plane of the cross barperpendicular to the roller axes, and d. a support for the bearingblocks, the bearing blocks and the support having complementarycylindrical gliding surfaces having a pivoting Axis constituted by thesecond axis.
 2. a beam having two ends, a. one roller of each pair ofrollers being supported on each one of the beam ends;
 2. The apparatusof claim 1, wherein the second axis lies in or close to a planecontaining the lines of contact between the rotating surface and therollers.
 3. a pivot means supporting the beam for pivoting about a firstaxis parallel to the axes of the rollers and about a second axisperpendicular to a plane passing through the axis of the rotatingsurface and the first axis, the pivot means including a. two pivots eachhaving a cylindrical gliding surface and the gliding surfaces having acommon axis constituted by the first axis, b. two bearing blocks eachsupporting a respective one of the pivots for pivoting the beam thefirst axis, c. a cross bar interconnecting the bearing blocks, with therespective bearing blocks mounted at the end of the cross bar onrespective sides of the median plane of the cross bar perpendicular tothe roller axes, and d. a support for the bearing blocks, the bearingblocks and the support having complementary cylindrical gliding surfaceshaving a pivoting Axis constituted by the second axis.